Young to Morriss, January 24, 1928
J. Frank Young to Henrietta Morriss, January 24, 1928.
Mahwah, N.J
Jan 24, 1928
Dear Henrietta,
I am no believer in mental telepathy but, like Mark Twain, I am struck with the frequency with which letters cross in the mail. You have doubtlessly observed that this interesting phenomenon happened with our last two letters. For the sake of curiosity would you compute and advise as precisely as possible the time you wrote?
Having a legal mind and therefore addicted to the habit of using much logic on small things, I was wondering upon whom, under the circumstances noted above, involves the duty of first answering. After much laborious argument I decided to my own satisfaction that said duty was on the same [party?] upon whom was the duty before the phenomenon occurred.
After the maddening, nerve-wrecking, brain-busting- exam I had yesterday my mind is not functioning in such a way as to allow me to write in an abstract [manner?] and having had an interesting week-end, I will write in a narrative style.
Last Saturday I crammed. All day. And all day I was stimulated with the thought that I might see you that evening. In that I was keenly disappointed in the evening I listened to Al Smith, [page 2] Judge Andrews, and Judge Tompkins wise crack at the meeting of the N.Y. Bar Association and thence to bed.
Sunday came bright. On awaking I saw that Bub's bed had not been used, which meant that I could get the room warm early and get a lot of work done. I did that thing. About five pm Mr. Eggers called on the phone and asked if I was going to hear F.D Roosevelt at Suffern. I was perfectly willing. We went with Mr. Winter.
Mr. Roosevelt was a revelation. A pleasant personality which radiated friendliness. While we were waiting for him a man went up on the stage took a chair and shortly Mr. Roosevelt was carried in. His legs are crippled. When he talked he stood in back of a chair one hand on the chair and one on a crutch which supported him. He was thus at a slight angle to the floor. When he used gestures he swung his body in a peculiar fashion, putting more weight on the crutches, and threw his arm straight from the shoulders to the fingertips. His completely disarming smile was used with tremendous effect during his talk.
The speech was honest ingenuity. Ostensibly on the subject of "foreign affairs" it was an excellent plea for al. smith although he did not once mention his name. He attacked the policy of the present administration with such subtleness [page 3] that the audience would not realize it until they went home and thought about it. Spaced throughout the speech were numerous humorous incidents and antidotes of official life and persons.
But as interesting as was Mr. Roosevelt he was far exceeded by the person with whom I rode to N.Y. on Monday. For two hours this gentleman (I hope) talked and I listened. His revelations were amazing and it all, strange to say, had to do with the administration of the public schools of Suffern for the past ten years.
One unique incident which was related had to do with a woman teacher, herself unmarried, who had taken a course in eugenics and was somewhat fanatic about it. In some manner she cornered a young freshman boy (well known to me) and asked him about what the boys did when they were alone in the school rooms. He was indiscreet and told her things which he shouldn't have. The teacher began investigating using whatever methods she wished and the result was that she claimed that the school was a moral mess, that nine-tenths of the boys (and girls, also), had habits of self-abuse, of sexual irregularities. She laid definitive accusations against [page 4] five, claimed that many of the boys & girls made "dates" in the mountains after school-hours, that even during class hours the boys practiced their dirty habits. Four of the five accused were let out of school in such a manner that they hadn't the slightest idea what it was all about. But the fifth had only two months before he graduated. The parents afraid for their virtuous daughters demanded that he also go. But thanks to the courage of one man he stayed. That same man is perhaps already one of the High-school's most successful graduates.
I couldn't think it possible that such things were happening while I went to Suffern High. I never heard a rumor of them. What an unsuspecting chap I was then. Can you imagine the smallness of people that would ruin a man's whole career because of a youthful indiscretion in which most boys indulge. And under the probability that their own children were worse. Had I been that boy's father and hear of it there would have been a hell of a mess to clean up.
This particular teacher afterward told one of her male students that she would like to be a mother without being married (a valid [illegible 1]). The boy reported it to his parents. The teacher went to remote parts of the country. However valid the reason for which they sent her it is good she left. For God's sake Henrietta don't be an old maid. No! Marry me instead.
Love
Frank